• LISTING
  • CATALOGS
  • MAPPING
  • HUMAN

How to inventory Helm applications with your AI

Connect Rancher to your AI client once. From there, you can query your clusters for specific deployments or catalog items using natural language.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

How can I see my Helm charts in Rancher using AI?

Your AI uses the Rancher Connector to pull lists of projects, installed apps, and available catalogs. You get a structured view of your cluster state without running manual CLI commands. This breakdown shows you exactly how the data moves from your clusters to your chat interface.

The results you get

Where your data lands

The AI handles the API calls so you can just read the results.

LISTING

Full app inventory

The AI pulls every Helm chart currently running across your projects. You get a clean list of what is actually deployed.

CATALOGS

Catalog visibility

Your agent identifies which Helm catalogs are available for use. This helps you see what you can install next.

MAPPING

Project organization

The AI maps specific apps back to their parent Rancher projects. You'll know exactly where each deployment lives.

HUMAN

Manual verification

You decide which specific chart versions or configurations need your attention. The AI provides the data, but you make the calls.

The workflow

What your AI does when the request arrives.

The AI translates your question into specific API calls to Rancher.

  1. Identify projects

    The AI first finds all the Rancher projects you have access to so it knows where to look.

    list_projects

  2. Scan for apps

    It looks inside those projects to find every installed Helm application.

    list_apps

  3. Check catalogs

    The agent checks the available Helm catalogs to see what's ready for deployment.

    list_catalogs

  4. Report findings

    The AI compiles the project, app, and catalog data into a single response for you.

    list_apps

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts to begin your inventory.

Starting points

These are opening lines. Swap out the project names or app names with your actual Rancher data.

Rancher Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_48JQqDtai3S1zaUsKSh5UlUL9fX8wRsUCkOFQCNW/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Rancher capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rancher-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_48JQqDtai3S1zaUsKSh5UlUL9fX8wRsUCkOFQCNW/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • List all Helm apps running in my 'Production' project.

  • Which Helm catalogs are currently available in my Rancher environment?

  • Show me all the apps installed in the 'Staging' project.

  • Summarize all Helm charts deployed across all my Rancher projects.

  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect Rancher once, then ask.

Just link your Rancher instance to Vinkius. Your credentials stay encrypted, and you can immediately start asking questions about your clusters.

Connect Rancher to your AI

FAQ

How this task behaves

  • 01

    Can the AI delete a Helm chart for me?

    No. This Connector only has tools to list projects, apps, and catalogs. It cannot modify or delete anything in Rancher.

  • 02

    Does the AI see all my clusters?

    The AI can only see the projects and data that your connected Rancher account has permission to access.

  • 03

    Can I use this to install new apps?

    No. The current tools are limited to listing existing apps and catalogs. Installation requires manual action or different tools.

  • 04

    Will this work in VS Code?

    Yes, as long as you are using an MCP-compatible client like VS Code, Cursor, or Claude.

  • 05

    Do I need to provide my Rancher password to the AI?

    No. You connect via Vinkius, which manages the connection securely. Your AI client never sees your raw credentials.

  • More questions about Rancher? See everything the Rancher Connector can do

Connect Rancher to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more